The Judge John Taylor House, the long-planned anchor of a neighborhood development at 12th and Cass streets in Springfield, is getting emergency stabilization work this winter that should buy some time for organizers to raise the needed funds for its full restoration and adaptive reuse. The Springfield Economic Development Commission on Nov. 2 voted to […]
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Former Benedictine campus slated for redevelopment
Tony and Ann Libri are in the process of purchasing the entire property which is home to the former Benedictine University. The 25-acre campus located at 1500 N. Fifth St. is comprised of 11 buildings that include the King’s Daughters Home and both the original and new buildings that housed Ursuline Academy, the college prep […]
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Serious allegations
Days after a man was arrested by Illinois State Police on charges of sexually abusing their 14-year-old daughter, her parents allege Springfield officers shielded the man because his mother is a detective with the police department. Illinois State Police arrested Zane Merreighn, the 22-year-old son of Detective Jennifer Oglesby, on three counts of aggravated sexual […]
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Rachel Otwell leaves Illinois Times for job with comptroller’s office
Rachel Otwell is the new deputy communications director for Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, effective Oct. 20. The position is based in Springfield. Otwell joined Illinois Times in Feb. 2020 and worked as a writer and associate editor for the paper. She won two Illinois Press Association awards for her 2020 coverage at Illinois Times, which […]
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186 Supt. Jennifer Gill warns of TikTok “challenges”
Students engaging in pranks at school is nothing new. But a new trend is apparently encouraging criminal activity. In a letter emailed to parents on Oct. 1, District 186 Supt. Jennifer Gill asked families to urge students not to participate in “challenges” circulating on TikTok that encourage physically hitting teachers and stealing school property. TikTok […]
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Illinois announces first $24 million in Back to Business grants
Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration on Thursday announced the awarding of the first $24 million in “Back to Business” grants, a program funded with federal relief aid to help businesses recover and reopen from the pandemic. The announcement took place at a Mexican restaurant in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, Mi Tierra en la Villita, […]
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LaKeisha Purchase chosen to fill Ward 5 aldermanic vacancy
From a City of Springfield press release: Mayor Jim Langfelder has announced LaKeisha Purchase as his selection to fill the Ward 5 aldermanic vacancy. “LaKeisha not only calls Ward 5 home, but she has been active in neighborhood-building efforts and in the Enos Park Neighborhood Association,” said Mayor Jim Langfelder. “LaKeisha also raised the level […]
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Governor reinstates indoor mask mandate
The statewide mask mandate indoors is back, and educators and health care professionals will be required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. JB Pritzker announced Thursday amid an ongoing surge in the pandemic that first arrived in Illinois in March 2020. Beginning Monday, people will be required to wear masks indoors, Pritzker announced. The vaccine […]
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State announces $250 million ‘Back to Business’ grant program
The state announced a $250 million “Back to Business” grant program aimed at assisting small businesses in the recovery from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic shutdowns. The program is funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act signed by President Joe Biden, and it includes specific set-aside amounts for certain uses. Those include […]
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Sangamon County releases mask statement
On July 27, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced it would align with new federal recommendations that people wear masks in public places, regardless of vaccination status. “CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends that everyone, including fully vaccinated individuals, wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas with substantial […]
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Jailers tased inmate at least five times, records show
A man who died a month ago after a struggle with Sangamon County jailers was shocked by a Taser at least five times times, according to jail records. Jaimeson Cody, who was 39, died 20 hours after entering the jail when Divernon police arrested him on suspicion of domestic violence. About 10 hours after he […]
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Sheriff releases video of fatal jailhouse struggle
A Sangamon County jail video released today provides no clear view of an inmate struggling with jailers and being tased before losing consciousness on April 27, when he was pronounced dead after being rushed to a hospital. There is a 90-second gap in footage from a camera aimed down a corridor that gives a view […]
